While attending the three recent outer harbor meetings, the Mayor of Buffalo announced in his speech there is 4.8 billion dollars of investment at this moment in economic development in the city. I sense a large percentage is spurred on by the clean up and exciting developments around the waterfront in providing public access.


However the bigger picture of Western New York's waterfront clean up effort in the existing plans so far is best described as setting the goal line at the 50 yard line, then patting each other on our backs and saying well done.


We have a once in a life time opportunity that rarely comes along with the wind (public sentiment) in our favor, driving us forward in cleaning up all the waterfront, making a robust, vibrant green and blue economy. Which will return to us incredible opportunities and tremendous economic vitality. If we drop the ball now and allow industry that no longer needs the waterfront to grow stronger to get it's roots sunk back into the community, it will be to late to stop a larger more polluting industry wanting in on the waterfront. We will be complaining in later years as we do today and be scorned by later generations that we failed to finished the job.


We live in NEW YORK STATE, we are suppose to be known for facing great challenges, finding solutions, triumphing, leading the nation and the world. The Bethlehem Waterfront Park Project is a legitimate worthy cause to seek funds from the federal government as seed money to pay for the complete initial clean up and re-beautification.

https://www.change.org/petitions/jim...ly-right-place